Sanditon: A Sisterhood Forms

14

Lord and Lady Babington arrived at Bedford Place later that evening, with Crowe following close behind.

"Sidney!" Esther exclaimed in a tone that indicated immense relief at seeing him alive.

"Lady B, how are you?" Sidney said, emerging from his study where he had admittedly been searching for the brandy, both to lessen the pain in his side and calm a few unexpected nerves that had materialised, but Linton had apparently reached his stash before him, and it was nowhere to be found.

"Happy that you have quite recovered, as I see it now."

"Yes, well, I had the very best looking after me at Trafalgar House. Mary and Georgiana both hardly left my side."

"And how are they?" Esther asked, and Sidney sensed a degree of homesickness in her eyes.

"Very well, likely relieved to be rid of me for a bit to get back to normal."

"Babington and I plan to visit my aunt before too long, don't we dear." she looked to Babington.

"Yes, we shall stay for a time."

"And skip out on the season?" Sidney asked in mock horror.

"Yes, you're right, who would deign to miss such a chance for such company. Perhaps we will wait until the spring, after all."

Esther rolled her eyes, "Well, if that is the case, I shall be the one to visit my aunt and you, Babington, can enjoy the season with Mr Crowe."

Crowe had reappeared as if summoned, a glass of brandy in hand.

"Hey," said Sidney, "Where did you find that?"

"This?" Crowe looked at the glass as if he had only just realised that it was in his hand, "I honestly couldn't say."

"Ready for the party, as usual, I see," said Sidney.

"Always, my friend, always." Crowe smiled happily, "And what would you expect? What with your Miss Lambe not around, I have nothing to look forward to."

"What is it with you and Miss Lambe all of a sudden?" Babington threw his arms into the air, exasperated.

"She is very beautiful, Babbers." Crowe placed a hand on Babington's shoulder to illustrate his point. "A very beautiful young lady."

"And off limits to you, Crowe, is that clear?" Sidney said, adopting the tone of authority he often used in the presence of Georgiana, herself.

Crowe turned back to Babington, "Babbers, I do not like where this conversation is going. Remove me from this place at once, I beg of you."

"Wonderful, now we have officially entered the despondent phase. I had hoped to avoid this until we at least had a chance to dance this evening, my love." Babington glanced longingly at Esther as Crowe swayed to the side, leaning what appeared to be all of his weight onto Babington's shoulder.

"Change of scenery, then?" Sidney asked, in an attempt to distract.

"Yes," Crowe said, "Babbers, we are going to a ball."

"Yes. Yes, I know."

"And there are lots of beautiful ladies at a ball."

"Yes, there are, although I have a feeling," he said, turning Crowe back toward the front entrance to Bedford Place and handing his glass off to Sidney, "that you are going to see more of the card room this evening than the ballroom, old chap."

Sidney smiled, setting the glass upon a nearby table.

"How nice it is to see you smile." said Esther, "I wondered at one point if we ever might see that again."

"Yes, well, if anything, this evening is proving to be a distraction from the pains of recovery."

"I heard that Mrs C is in Paris at the moment," she said, almost reluctantly.

"Yes, she is, and buying out half the modistes in the city, by my estimation."

"So, she is expected to be gone for some time, then?" Esther inquired.

"Yes, yes she is."

"Well then," she said, taking his arm as he offered it to her, "I would be disingenuous if I did not admit to looking forward to the evening ahead. I have the greatest feeling in the world that it will be memorable."

"Is that so?" he looked at her quizzically, "I suppose an evening among friends ought to be memorable, particularly when it may be one of your last as a bachelor."

"Precisely," Esther said, and looked away without another word as they stepped out to the awaiting carriage.

----------

They arrived fashionably late to the ball that evening due to a tremendous amount of traffic. "Must be the ball of the season, is it?" Sidney asked as he began to wonder how they had talked him into this.

Babington laughed. "It is the only ball at this point in the season, Parker, which means that everyone who is in town is at the bloody ball."

Fortunately for the group, the wait allowed Crowe a chance to sober up slightly, though he at one point had to open the carriage door so suddenly that Esther startled, clutching Babington's arm as Crowe leaned out to heave over the street.

By the time they walked through the extraordinarily large columned entry fit for the Prince Regent, Sidney's mind began to whirl, memories emerging as he subconsciously scanned the crowd for Charlotte. He found that he searched for her more often by the day, hoping against hope that she might appear, dashing through a crowd at a ball such as this, escaping the din in favour of a wing or courtyard, and then he abruptly shook the thought from his mind. It would not do to dwell on what could not be. She was with her family in Willingden, after all. Georgiana had all but confirmed it.

"Not that I wish to take this man anywhere near the alcohol, but Parker, I could kill for a glass of port."

"Quite alright, Babbers. You go and mingle, I will focus on the port. I could use one myself."

He patted Babington on the shoulder and began to take the winding path to the refreshments.